3v3 Game (Future Fit U7 Format)

◆Why this drill works

From 2026-27 the FA's Future Fit framework moves U7s from 5v5 to 3v3 as the entry format. This isn't just a smaller game — it's a fundamentally different experience. With 3v3, every player touches the ball every 8-10 seconds (vs every 30+ seconds in 5v5), every player attacks AND defends every minute, and goals come every 30 seconds. The cognitive load is dramatically lower while the physical and technical load is higher. This drill is the format itself — set up in 2 minutes and let kids play. The coach's only job is the score and the questions.

▦The drill in three phases

▶How to run it

1. Mark out a 25×16 yard pitch with mini-goal at each end (or use cones for 2-yard wide goals). NO goalkeepers — the Future Fit format removes the keeper to maximise outfield touches and goals.
2. Split into two teams of 3. Use bibs. With 8 players: 3v3 active, 2 in queue rotating every 90 seconds. With 12: two parallel 3v3 games.
3. Standard rules with critical exceptions: NO offside (the format eliminates this). NO heading (Future Fit U7-U11 rule). Throw-ins from sides; kick-ins from back lines (since no GK to take goal-kicks).
4. Free play for 4 minutes. Coach observes, doesn't correct. The format teaches itself — kids work out positioning by playing, not by coaching.
5. First pause at minute 4 — ask one open question: 'Where is space?' or 'Who's open?' Don't lecture. Listen to their answers. Then resume.
6. Run as 4-minute games with 60-second resets. Reshuffle teams between games (coach picks, no captains — fairness matters more than friend groups). 4 games total.
7. Final game: 'King of the pitch' — winning team stays on, losing team rotates with queue. The competitive close engages without changing the structure.

✓Equipment checklist

✦Coaching points